Have you recognized the changes the Christian religion has made over the last few decades? Has Satan’s subtle changes blinded the hearts of believers into believing his deceit?
The answers to these questions are most probably, “No!”, and, “Maybe!” respectively.
It seems in reality, some have noticed a great change; others not so many changes. Many people may answer the second question relying upon their ability to decipher such types of questions using deductive reasoning. We all know Satan is the great deceiver, therefore they would deduct the answer is most likely a great possibility. But, do we have a reason to prove our deduction? The recognition of being a ‘blinded heart believer’ may cause some to stop and reason their answer. This is good.
Jesus, speaking of the Pharisees and of Satan, told them on one occasion, 44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. John 8:44. He told them this because they, unaware, were acting like Satan and his likeness to evil.
Satan was always a liar and deceiver to all humans from the beginning. His work is still ongoing. Therefore, many can and are still being deceived and believing lies. They are blinded to the truth. They look around themselves and say, “Everyone else is doing it; Everyone else is believing it this way. It must be the truth.” This ignorant deductive reasoning is what has allowed the culture of the world to ‘wax worse and worse’. In 2 Timothy 3:13, Paul tells Timothy, 13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. As we draw closer to The Judgment, the Great Deceiver and his followers shall cause the weak people of the world to not direct their own affairs but fall victim to Satan’s deceptions. We are witnessing many of these deceptions with so many believing and participating in the abominations of God’s desire for humanity. AND, many of these subtle deceptions have crept into the Christian religion being taught and believed by many.
Just because your preacher says it is so, does not make it so. Just because everyone else is believing it a certain way does not make it true. Just because everyone is doing it does not make it right.
Who, therefore, are you to believe? Have you made a proper study of those things Satan uses to deceive? Where do you find The Truth? These questions must be answered personally on a regular basis. Why? We are told to, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15.
Notice it is spoken in first person in the form of a command. Who is doing the studying? Thyself. Who is rightly dividing the word of truth? The one studying, thyself. It is not your preacher, teacher, church leader, spouse, other well known evangelists; it is required of YOU.
So, can we answer the first question? Have we recognized the changes the Christian religion has made over the last few decades? Yes! or at least we should. It is most probable each and every one recognizes subtle changes to their religious beliefs and behaviors. AND, those changes are not all good. What may be some of these changes? In identifying these changes one can recognize subtle inputs Satan has made to the hearts of believers to cause them to lose their soul. This answers the second question. Yes, Satan has caused the hearts of some believers to believe his deceptions.
Let us first remind ourselves of the subtle way Satan does this evil act. Satan interjects small words to change the conversation and make the believer think it is a true and acceptable ideology from God. God hath said [unto the woman, EVE], Ye shall not eat of it [the tree of the knowledge of good and evil], neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And Satan said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. Genesis 3:3-5.
God said ye shall die and Satan said ye shall NOT die. It appears death was not to come to humanity which God created for they lived hundreds of years at that time. However, because of this sin the woman did and caused her husband, also, to commit, death came upon all humanity. Romans 5:12, 14. 12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: 14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come. People did not have to sin the same sin as Adam, yet they died. Satan’s lie not only caused physical death but a spiritual death to fall upon humanity as well. Spiritual death is the soul’s separation from its creator, God.
Let us recognize a few of Satan’s deceptions.
Little White Lies
How many ‘little white lies’ have you ever told? In the terminology used by all, a little lie is still a lie. Commandment # 9, Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. Lies are false statements. Lies are deception, little or big.
Jesus told the Pharisees in John chapter 8, I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father. They wanted to kill him because he told them the truth. They had been deceived by Satan, of whom Jesus says is their father because they have believed lies and are doing the same actions as those Satan does; lie, kill, hate, etc. Today, so many people are doing what Satan does and what the world does; not what God desires.
What fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? What concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? What agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. 2 Corinthians 6:14-18.
In this passage we see the same teaching Jesus had with the Pharisees, do not do as Satan does or the world does. Come out from among them and do not have anything to do with the world’s idols. When we put the things of the world before God we have created an idol placed before Him in our lives. These idols are not just a physical object but any object or ideology we hold reverence for. Greed the Bible says is an idol. (Ephesians 5:5, Colossians 3:5)
Now many shall say, “I am not an idolator. I do not have graven images before me which I worship before I worship God." Let us evaluate this message.
On the Lord’s Day, Sunday, many attend an assembly for a form of worship somewhere. By most standards, the leaders demand the worship be within a one hour period. They also say the Bible Study does not count as a ‘worship’. It, too, is to be within one hour. If one attends these two hours on Sunday, The Lord’s Day, they can do anything they please the rest of the day because they have not put those things ‘before’ God; they have put God first. Do you see the deception? Satan and the world says you do not have to keep one day Holy all day long for God. Satan has put greed into the people and has forced people to have to work multiple jobs to supply the needs for their families. In addition, these jobs are required to be done on Sundays causing one to miss the assemblies and not keep the Lord’s Day sanctified unto the Lord. Scripture says the old scriptures were written for our learning and they were a shadow of things to come. The keeping of the seventh day Holy unto God was for our learning and observance for a physical day of rest; for us as well as our animals–work animals. We do not do as our ancestors once did; we have motorized equipment to do our servile work–it does not need to rest. Therefore, we do not need to observe a Day of Rest in reverence unto our God, so Satan has us to believe.
AND, About 80+ years ago, leaders of religious assemblies, in their great wisdom, decided with the ease of transportation of society, an additional meeting time would be offered on Sunday evenings for additional Bible study AND, for an opportunity for people who missed the assembly in the morning to have opportunity to give God their reverence ‘on the Lord’s day’. Sounded good and righteous. Some people, feeling tired on Sunday mornings, decide to sleep in instead of assembling with the saints. They always can go to meetings on Sunday night. Then some people began to judge others as blatant sinners because ‘they are forsaking the assembly’. They seem to know all about everyone and their lives saying they have no real excuse to miss Sunday morning except possibly staying out doing who knows what late Saturday night.
If members miss Sunday nights, well the Elders said we are to assemble on Sunday night as well as Sunday morning; obviously these missing members are forsaking the assembly. In addition, each meeting is to last only 60 minutes long, max, the Elders said so. This is not too much to endure to be righteous. Do you see the introduction of Satan’s deception from what God commanded to make things easier to justify our behavior. Now more iniquity has been created in the hearts of believers. Satan wins.
True Sacrifices from the Children of God–Doing Things as Commanded from God
How has the commandment of true sacrifices been changes?
Let us look at something the Jews did in the days of Jesus. John 2:13-16. 13 And the Jews' passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: 15 And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables; 16 And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise.
What was going on? Three times each year the Jewish males of the age of 20+ were to attend a feast in Jerusalem and bring sacrifices to be offered on their behalf. For a convenience for the people who may have to travel a great distance driving their animals to Jerusalem, men provided animals for these sacrifices at Jerusalem, in the Temple of God. These animals were not the individual’s own but another’s. They may not have been #1 quality as God commanded for sacrifices offered unto Him. AND, these merchants were making money from these sales off of their own countrymen. They had provided things easier for the people to worship God. They were doing all the things God required, just not in the correct manner of which God desires. Satan had deceived them into believing these little things were Godly, acceptable and correct. These were not true sacrifices from the heart of the children of God.
Convenience is not always the manner by which God commands the righteous to hold.
Benevolence
How much are we commanded to do and to whom are we to do it?
Matthew 5:38-42. 38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: 39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also. 41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. 42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.
That is what we are required to do. Are we doing it as God intended?
Vss. 43-45. 43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. 44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. These are those to whom we are to do the things God has required. It is exactly what Jesus did in this life for an example for all the just people, Godly people, to do. Has Satan deceived us into doing differently? If we are honest unto ourselves, we shall recognize our sin and know exactly why our world is waxing worse and worse in Satan’s deceptions and evils. We are not doing more than asked for our neighbors; we are robbing God.
We could add more and more subtle things injected into our lifestyles which are not as God intended for righteous people to do; social drinking, wearing indecent clothing, fornication, adultery, our manner of worship that is ordained by God, business ethics, true love and care for our fellowman–widows and orphans, our language, our true confessions of sin–the sin, not just acknowledging we have sinned; the list is too numerous.
When humanity justifies sinfulness by some excuse, we have allowed Satan to enter our assemblies and lives. Jesus was correct, Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. No wonder our world has come to its various evils today, Christians have allowed Satan to deceive them; to become idolaters filled with greed; heartless with no respect for the sanctity of life and the soul within; no love and compassion; no respect for themselves nor authority; no apathy; no desire to be found ‘without blemish’--living in true grace of God.
Let us strive to learn from The Sermon on the Mount Jesus gave in Matthew chapters 5-7. Let us put the teaching therein into practice as many Christians did decades ago. Let us come out from among the heathen and infidels. Let us put on bowels of mercy, compassion, apathy, brotherly love and the Love of God. Let us go the extra mile, even if it is without earthly compensation and the excuse ‘It is not my job, it is the Elder’s or the preacher’s’. Let us return unto God and imitate God’s mercy. Let us not rob God and justify our sinfulness with Satan’s deceptions any longer.
